I can only speak as a caregiver to my son. I know he went thru a time when he felt guilty for all that I was doing for him ( which was so wrong!). He talked to his therapist about this who set him straight asking if he would not be ready to do the very same thing for his daughter. That made him understand. But more than that, no matter who takes care of you, whether it's a volunteer, a paid caregiver or someone that loves you, the very act of caring for you is providing a purpose in their lives. For me, caring for my son not only provided a purpose, but it kept me from losing my sanity and succumbing to the same depression he was in. We were both in a deep dark hole and I knew I had to be the one to get out of that dark place and drag him out behind me. Doing the menial things like getting his food, doing his laundry and cleaning the litter box (ugh, he had three cats!) were things I was SO grateful for because it gave me purpose and kept me in the "fight" mode. I HAD to do it as much for me as for him! By giving up, you are denying someone a purpose in their lives. It does make people feel good to do something for others. If you can acknowledge it in even the smallest way, it makes them feel even better. You have gotten such excellent suggestions above. Also, if you take Eva's suggestion to spread awareness, then you will be taking care of what Eric notes in his signature line: ""He who has a "why" to live can bear with almost any "how".